The Vital Records that exist in your office depend on your specific mission and function. Remember, records are considered vital only if they are not replicated anywhere else at the University; departmental copies of records that exist within a centralized University office are not Vital Records.

The following are general examples of records with strong potential to qualify as Vital:

  • Accreditation Documentation
  • Administration Records for Grants/Contracts
  • Application for Internal (UW) Research Support Funds – Awarded
  • Approvals
  • Billing Source Documents
  • Blueprints of Facilities
  • Board of Regents Minutes
  • Consent Forms
  • Contracts and Agreements
  • Deeds for University-Owned Property
  • Endowment Fund Records
  • Environmental Health and Safety related records
  • Equipment Inventory Reports (Physical Inventories)
  • General Ledgers
  • Grievances, Misconduct Investigations, Adjudications, and Disciplinary Actions
  • Human Subject Review Committee Applications - Awarded
  • Insurance Policy Information
  • Litigation Files
  • Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights
  • Petitions and Waivers
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Research Data
  • Resident/Fellowship Records
  • Protocols (Drug Development and Human Subjects)
  • Security Codes
  • Technical System Documentation
  • Student Admission/Degree Applications
  • Student Transcripts